This invention relates generally to online services, and in particular to an online services system in which confidence information is generated for users of the system and provided to third parties.
Online services systems such as social networks have become prevalent in recent years because they provide a useful environment in which users can connect to and communicate with other users. Although a variety of different types of online services systems exist, these systems commonly provide mechanisms allowing users to define and interact within their social networks. In this context, a user may be an individual or any other entity, such as a business or other non-person entity. Accordingly, while enabling social communications among friends, an online services system can also be a valuable tool for businesses to engage with potential consumers. Even without a commercial purpose, an online services system may allow other types of entities to spread their message. For example, a non-person entity may set up a page or group that other users can join (or become a “fan” of), which enables the non-person entity to provide a forum to receive and transmit communications to a group of interested users.
As use of social networking systems increases, so does the potential for abuse of the system through machine code written to interact with the systems as if they were a user of the system, and users wanting to create multiple accounts to gain advantage in games associated with the online services systems. In addition, further problems are presented by compromised user accounts, stale or expired accounts, or duplicate user identities, to name just a few. Thus, online services systems have put in place various verification schemes for users accounts within the online services system or social network.
For third parties who share users with the online services system, typically independent verification of the users is used to ensure the validity of the user accounts and/or sessions with the third party. Thus, it is important for these entities to ascertain, with a reasonable degree of certainty, whether the user accounts are genuine, unique, and represent real people.